They experienced a 10% return on investment as well as a 15 minute reduction in admission time. As a result, their Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score increased by 30%. Community Healthcare and Wellness Centers in Ohio implemented Imprivata Cortext in their own centers. Imprivata, a provider of secure text messaging, conducted several studies on their own program, Imprivata Cortext. OhMD offers up three plans, one of which is free.Įmpirical evidence shows just how effective a secure messaging platform can be. Users can send and receive intake forms, surveys, and files like images, and the program can also send appointment reminders. This HIPAA-compliant text-messaging platform works well for provider-patient communications and general practice communication amongst employees. OhMD is trusted by over 300,000 healthcare providers. When the Covered Entity has implemented a solution such as a HIPAA-compliant messaging app that has the necessary controls and encryption to support HIPAA-compliant texting.Department of Health and Human Services waives rules for text messaging after a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Both the warning and the consent must be documented. The Covered Entity has informed the patient that the risk of unauthorized disclosure exists and has obtained the patient's consent to communicate by text.There are however a few notable exceptions according to HIPAA Journal: Generally speaking, HIPAA does not permit sharing PHI via text message. What are the HIPAA-compliant text messaging requirements? By giving doctors, patients, and health practitioners the ability to respond to a problem as soon as they see the message, they can work much more efficiently while still transmitting personal health information (PHI). Allowing employees to use devices they are familiar with outside of the workplace is a way to implement new technologies without transition problems. Text messaging is an everyday part of people's lives now, and consumers of all ages have learned to adapt to new texting technologies. These systems are not always HIPAA compliant, and if you plan on using them to transmit personal health information (PHI), then they must be. Yet, security is an issue, as text messages are stored by providers and on the applications over which they are sent. However, pagers have not necessarily adapted with the times and have very few features relative to today's technology and so, smartphones have become a better and more effective method of messaging. There should be a method of reaching healthcare professionals promptly while still protecting the sensitive information being transmitted.įor years, the pager was the device of choice used by healthcare professionals. Patients and their health can be unpredictable. All businesses require quick employee response, but this could not be truer for a healthcare facility. It is like many other businesses as it requires effective leadership and communication to run smoothly, but the extra factor is the importance of timeliness.

Running a hospital presents a variety of unique challenges.

Text messaging apps for hospitals